Following his spectacular US Open victory at the Congressional Country club last weekend, Rory McIlroy has had his odds slashed in the 2011 Sports Personality Of The Year Betting. The 22-year-old stunned the rest of the field with a majestic display of power, class and skill, and as a result is the new 4/5 favourite to scoop the BBC award in December. Now the Ulsterman has enjoyed a taste of major success he will by no means settle for just the one major and who would bet against him winning another this year.

Click here for Rory McIlroy Specials

Next in the running is Andy Murray with odds of 7/1. Despite his impressive showings at the Australian Open and the French Open, the fiery Scot knows that if he is to stand any chance of stealing McIlroys thunder then he simply has to win a Grand Slam this year. A feat easier said than done. Murray will all but guarantee the award is his if he becomes the first Brit to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry way back in 1936.

In the last week Jessica Ennis has had her odds lengthened from 3/1 to 9/1 but, the heptathlete still has a summer of athletics to look forward to in order to get her name back in the thick of things. The Golden Girl of British athletics will be gunning for gold at the World Championships in Daegu (South Korea) at the end of August. Heavyweight boxer David Haye will also be a strong contender if he beats Wladimir Klitschko in their summer showdown in Germany on Saturday 2nd July.

If you are looking for a cheeky outside bet then Jenson Button at 50/1 may well be worth a punt. The Formula One driver won a pulsating race in Canada a couple of weeks ago which could well give him the impetous to spark a dramatic comeback and catch the runaway leader Sebastian Vettel in the standings.

Sports Personality of the Year 2011 ! William Hill Outright Odds correct from 22/06/2011:

• 4/5 Rory McIlroy
• 7/1 Andy Murray
• 8/1 David Haye
• 9/1 Jessica Ennis
• 25/1 Lee Westwood
• 28/1 Alastair Cook
• 33/1 Lewis Hamilton
• 40/1 Amir Khan
• 40/1 Tom Daley
• 40/1 Paul Scholes
• 50/1 Luke Donald
• 50/1 Jenson Button
• 50/1 Chris Ashton
• 50/1 Mo Farah
• 50/1 Mark Cavendish

All odds courtesy of William Hill